Dumbo Standby Line

[mocame]

I think the problem here was that the standby wait time should have said 30 minute wait instead of 15 minute wait. They aren't forcing you to wait extra, the way the standby queue is designed is that you wait in line for a short time to receive a pager so you can go into the play area and wait. If you didn't notice, there are a number of benches and seating areas also for those without children to sit and wait, much better than standing in line. HOWEVER, if the line is short enough then the play area is entirely optional and they just send you on your way through the rest of the queue.

The cast member was probably quoting you that it would be another 15 minutes to wait, not that you were required to stay in the tent and play for 15 minutes. Could have been longer, could have been shorter. Would you have rather waited in a bunch of unthemed switch backs outside like the old Dumbo queue? This new line allows you to sit and wait in the AC and those families with smaller children can also let them play and be entertained while waiting.

My point was that the posted time was incorrect and deceiving. We had already waited 15 minutes just to get to the tent. She handed me the pager and said it would buzz when it is time to get in line and it should be about 15 minutes. For families with younger children this option is great. For others that thought they were just getting in line for a total of 15 minutes and then move on to another attraction, this was not a great situation.

 

[mocame]

I was there on May 8 and did not have an option to skip the play area as 2 adults. Even people in scooters where in there waiting. I just figure it is a way to make the wait go by faster and at least I got to sit down for a few minutes although I would have skipped it if I could.

That was the same day we were there! Hmm. Maybe it was the cm working that day?

 

[mm522]

My point was that the posted time was incorrect and deceiving. We had already waited 15 minutes just to get to the tent. She handed me the pager and said it would buzz when it is time to get in line and it should be about 15 minutes. For families with younger children this option is great. For others that thought they were just getting in line for a total of 15 minutes and then move on to another attraction, this was not a great situation.

Right but this could have happened at any other line where you get in line and it says it's a 15 minute wait but ends up being 30. This time you had the courtesy of a CM basically letting you know halfway through that it was going to be a longer wait, rather than just finding it out the hard way.

 

[North of Mouse]

Dh & I always ride Dumbo - the 'kids' in us demand it - never had to go to the play area - went right on to the ride.

 

[FancyNancy]

We always skip the play area but I agree it can be a little confusing, especially if you didn't know that you can skip it. This is the time of year that a lot of College Program kids are working so maybe the CM you encountered that told you that you had to wait in the play area was confused.

 

[ChloesDaddy]

For those needing a visual of the play area...

 

[karm12]

I was there the first week of May and only one of the two Dumbo's was open. The other had a fence around it.

 

[dreiwhit]

We went in early March and weren't given the option of continuing on through. The CM gave us a pager and told us to wait in the tent until the pager went off.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

From what we've experienced there are two different procedures. 1. When the wait is relatively short you are given the option to skip the play area if you choose and get right in line. If you choose to play you are given a pager but they don't set it off, you bring it back when you are ready to continue to the rest of the line. We have done both options, continue on in the line and stop to play a bit. 2. Once the line is longer than the queue that they have (not sure the exact wait time, probably 15+ min) they start handing out the pagers and you do not have the option to go on to the line, you must wait for your pager to light up before you continue on. OP - it's too bad that they had the wait time so wrong. It sound like you got a slow CM who wasn't very efficient getting people their pagers which added to the wait. It is not the norm. Most of the time the waits are fairly accurate but there are always a couple times each trip that we end up waiting far longer than the posted time and it's usually updated by the time we are out. I think that because your initial wait for the pager, the wait after the pager, and the posted wait time we're all 15 min. It seemed like they were trying to pull a fast one by posting the wait for one or the other but that is not the norm at all, the total wait time is usually posted and you just ran into a case of the wait time not being accurate which happens.

 

[mocame]

From what we've experienced there are two different procedures. 1. When the wait is relatively short you are given the option to skip the play area if you choose and get right in line. If you choose to play you are given a pager but they don't set it off, you bring it back when you are ready to continue to the rest of the line. We have done both options, continue on in the line and stop to play a bit. 2. Once the line is longer than the queue that they have (not sure the exact wait time, probably 15+ min) they start handing out the pagers and you do not have the option to go on to the line, you must wait for your pager to light up before you continue on. OP - it's too bad that they had the wait time so wrong. It sound like you got a slow CM who wasn't very efficient getting people their pagers which added to the wait. It is not the norm. Most of the time the waits are fairly accurate but there are always a couple times each trip that we end up waiting far longer than the posted time and it's usually updated by the time we are out. I think that because your initial wait for the pager, the wait after the pager, and the posted wait time we're all 15 min. It seemed like they were trying to pull a fast one by posting the wait for one or the other but that is not the norm at all, the total wait time is usually posted and you just ran into a case of the wait time not being accurate which happens.

The more I read everyone's posts, I think it had a lot to do with the cm. The line didn't seem too long when we got into it but it didn't move very fast.

 

[brockash]

You don't have to go wait in the play area. If you have kids that want to go in there, you can get a pager and wait. If not you walk on by and continue to the ride.

Seems like there was some confusion when you went through.

What's the point of the pager? Let's say you get a pager, but decide you're done "playing" earlier than when the pager goes off, can't you just go get in the regular line?

 

[MainMom]

Rode new Dumbo twice last year. Never had to go to the play area. I just assumed it was for parents with young kids. Why in the heck would they make older kids and their parents or adult without kids go in there? It just seems like a dumb concept. I'd rather stand in the line.

 

[HopperFan]

My point was that the posted time was incorrect and deceiving. We had already waited 15 minutes just to get to the tent. She handed me the pager and said it would buzz when it is time to get in line and it should be about 15 minutes. For families with younger children this option is great. For others that thought they were just getting in line for a total of 15 minutes and then move on to another attraction, this was not a great situation.

But it wasn't incorrect for a Disney attraction. The time posted is in the queue leading to the beginning of the attraction which for Dumbo is the tent/playground. It would be like any of the attractions with pre-shows - Philharmonic, Stitch Escape, Monsters Laugh, Muppets, Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster ... even Soarin'. The time posted is to get you to the preshow, not the actual show/attraction. Dumbo was set up this way due to the old ride having such long lines out in the sun, so it now has a "preshow" area that is great for kids.

I get it's aggravating especially if you don't know. For us we have been on it all so we know the extra time that will be "tagged" on to the meat of the attraction.

 

[TexasKiwiPrincess]

We've always been asked if we want to play or skip it.
Each time we opted to play for a few minutes, so I can't comment on the wait without the play experience.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

But it wasn't incorrect for a Disney attraction. The time posted is in the queue leading to the beginning of the attraction which for Dumbo is the tent/playground. It would be like any of the attractions with pre-shows - Philharmonic, Stitch Escape, Monsters Laugh, Muppets, Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster ... even Soarin'. The time posted is to get you to the preshow, not the actual show/attraction. Dumbo was set up this way due to the old ride having such long lines out in the sun, so it now has a "preshow" area that is great for kids.

I get it's aggravating especially if you don't know. For us we have been on it all so we know the extra time that will be "tagged" on to the meat of the attraction.

Yes we learned this the frustrating way when we do child swap. Tower of Terror takes about 20 minutes from the preshow to the end of the ride.

 

[mocame]

But it wasn't incorrect for a Disney attraction. The time posted is in the queue leading to the beginning of the attraction which for Dumbo is the tent/playground. It would be like any of the attractions with pre-shows - Philharmonic, Stitch Escape, Monsters Laugh, Muppets, Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster ... even Soarin'. The time posted is to get you to the preshow, not the actual show/attraction. Dumbo was set up this way due to the old ride having such long lines out in the sun, so it now has a "preshow" area that is great for kids.

I get it's aggravating especially if you don't know. For us we have been on it all so we know the extra time that will be "tagged" on to the meat of the attraction.

True. If I would've known there was a tent/play area, we would've either planned accordingly or most likely have skipped the ride altogether.

 

[jawa7400]

If your kids are having fun, what does it matter if they stick around for a few more minutes?

No problem with the kids having fun. Just wasn't what I was expecting from what I had read online, that's all.

 

[Dismama2boys]

If your kids are having fun, what does it matter if they stick around for a few more minutes?

Because sometimes people have ADR's or need to catch the DME or have a FP window or any number of other things that keep people on a schedule.